Regulator



Jan. 3, 1928.

L. W. THOMPSON REGULATOR Original Filed Oct. 24. 1925 lrfivhcoTz Louis W Thomps n M M His Attorney.

Patented Jan. 3, "'1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS W. THOMPSON, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 015 NEW YORK.

REGULATOR.

Application filed October 24, 1925, Serial No. 64,661. Renewed October 27., 1927.

My invention relates to arrangements for regulating an electrical condltlon of a machine or circuit, and has for 1ts principal object the provision of an improved regulator that does not involve the use of mov1ng parts and is both sensitive and reliable 1n its operation. A

Various arrangements have been used for regulating the voltage or another electrical condition of a circuit. Many of these arrangements involve the use of moving contacts and are incapable of producing the fine degree of regulation required for stable oper ation of the circuit under adverse conditions,

such as those encountered in the use of large control currents for example. In accordance with my invention, these difficulties are avoided or minimized by a regulating system comprising an electric valve-which 1s capable of transmittin control currents of considerable magnitu e and operates without appreciable time delay to prevent variat on in the voltage or other electrical condltlon to be regulated.

My invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, the single figure thereof shows diagrammatically a regulatmg system wherein my invention has been embodied.

This figure shows a saturated core regulator 1 comprising an excitation coil 2 and main coils 3 and 4: which are wound to produce opposed fluxes for neutralizing their effect on the coil 2 and are connected to a load circuit 5 in series with the primary circuit 6 of a booster transformer 7. The sec- 'ondary circuit 8 of this transformer is connected in series with the line 5. Current is supplied to the excitation or saturation coil 2 from the circuit 5 through a transformer 9 and an electric valve 10 provided with anodes 11, grids or control electrodes 12, cathode 13, and starting battery and switch 14 and 15. The grids 12 are connected to the cathode 13 through opposite halves of so the secondary winding 16 of a transformer 17. The primary circuit 18 of the transformer 17 is connected to the circuit 5 through a transformer 19 and a voltage responsive device comprising ballast lamps 20 and 22 which are connected to the secondary circuit of the transformer 19 through resistors 23 and 2t respectively.

It should be noted that the primary circuit 18 is connected to the voltage responsive device at the junction points between the lamps and resistors; that the filaments of the lamps 20 and 22 are preferably made of tungsten or the like and resistors 23 and 2ft are made of a material having a low temperature coefficient of resist" ance; and that when the grids 12 are charged to a negative potential, they are capable of preventing the starting of current through the valve 10, but are incapable, of stopping the current until the anode potential passes through its zero value.

Under these conditions, current through the lamps will vary approximately-as the square root of the lamp terminal voltage and current through the resistors will vary as the first power of the resistor terminal voltage. The resistances of the lamps and resistors may be so proportioned that a predetermined difference exists between the juncture of lamp 20 and resistor 23 and that of lamp 22 and resistor 24: when the voltage of circuit 5 is at its normal value- Variation from this normal value will change the relation between the potentials of the two junction points.

Thus if the load circuit voltage rises, the time intervals during which the grids and anodes of the valve 10 are simultaneously charged to a positive potential are shortened, current is transmitted through the saturation coil 2 for shorter periods, the inductive drop of the saturation regulator is increased, less voltage is applied to the booster transformer 7 and the voltage of the load circuit tends to return to its normal value. If the load circuit voltage decreases however, current is supplied to the saturation coil for longer periods and the circuit voltage tends to increase. The valve 10 thus transmits current intermittently during intervals of time dependent on the load circuit voltage and an unbalance of the voltage responsive device corresponding to normal voltage of the load circuit is automatically maintained.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein has been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth the principles involved. It will be apparent, however, that the invention is susceptible of being modified to meet the different conditions encountered in its use and I therefore aim to cover by the appended claims all modifications within the true spirit and scope of my invention. v

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. The combination of a circuit, a booster transformer connected to said circuit, a device for controlling an electrical condition of said transformer, and means comprising an electric valve operable in accordance with an electrical condition of said circuit for regulating the operation of said control device.

2. The combination of a circuit, a saturation regulator, a booster transformer connected to said circuit through said regulator, and means comprising an electric valve operable in accordance with an electrical condition of said circuit for controlling the saturation of said regulator.

3. The combination of a circuit, a booster transformer connected to said circuit, an electric valve comprising a grid interposed between a cathode and anode, a regulator connected to said transformer and provided with a saturation coil connected between said cathode and anode, and means connected between said grid and cathode for regulating the current transmitted through said coil in accordance .with an electrical condition of said circuit.

4. The combination of an electric valve comprising a grid interposed between an anode and cathode, a regulator comprisin a saturation coil connected between said cathode and anode, and means connected between said grid and cathode for controllin the phase relation between the grid and anode potentials of said valve,

5. The combination of an electric valve comprising a grid interposed between an anode and cathode, a regulator comprising a saturation coil connected between said cathode and anode, and voltage responsive means connected between said grid and cathode for controlling the current transmitted through said coil.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of October, 1925.

LOUIS W. THOMPSON. 

